Sunday, August 12, 2001
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Sunday, August 12, 2001 |
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Fayetteville family attacked by armed intruders
By JOHN MUNFORD
Fayetteville police are searching for three or four black males who broke into a local family's home and held them at gunpoint while ransacking their house late Wednesday night, according to police. The suspects broke into the house on White Oak Trail by shattering a sliding glass door, said Police Lt. Tom Kirkbride. Once inside, they claimed they were federal agents and called the family by their last name, he added. At least one of the suspects had a handgun, though none of them had any paraphernalia indicating they were law enforcement officers, Kirkbride said. The suspects were described as black males in their 20s or 30s, Kirkbride said. One was heavy set and had a beard, he added. Investigators were working the case around the clock, Kirkbride said Thursday afternoon. After forcing the mother and a 16-year-old daughter upstairs to a bedroom where the father was, the suspects tied up the father with an electrical cord from a lamp, Kirkbride said. At one point, the father was struck in the head, Kirkbride added. The suspects then ransacked the residence and some time later the father freed himself and began to run away, he said. The suspects chased the father as he fled toward a neighbor's house and at one point shots went off, Kirkbride said. It is not clear if one of the suspects shot at the man or whether the shot occurred when the handgun was dropped, Kirkbride added. A witness who heard the gunshots saw the suspects run to a car, parked nearby, which was used to leave the scene, Kirkbride said. The car was described as an older model white Chevy Caprice, possibly with gold rims and aftermarket tires that were thicker and fatter than normal tires, Kirkbride said. The witness was unable to get the tag number of the vehicle, Kirkbride added. The gun was later recovered as officers searched the area, Kirkbride said. Found near the weapon were several personal items the suspects had taken from the house. The suspects got away with a small amount of currency, several jewelry items and several personal items, Kirkbride said. The family's 9-year-old daughter slept through the whole incident and was found asleep by officers as they cleared the house in a search for any other suspects, Kirkbride said. The father was not immediately taken to the hospital for treatment of his injuries, Kirkbride said. Although the suspects knew the family's last name, the victims told police they do not know the suspects, Kirkbride added.
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